Summary:
Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Tamil Nadu government, along with TANFINET, have signed an agreement to expand rural broadband connectivity across Tamil Nadu under the Amended BharatNet Program. With financial support from the Centre, the initiative aims to provide more than 5 lakh rural fibre-to-the-home connections and extend on-demand connectivity to 4,767 villages. The programme is expected to strengthen digital infrastructure and improve access to e-governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments and other essential services in rural and remote areas.
In a major initiative to improve digital infrastructure and expand broadband access in rural Tamil Nadu, Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), signed an agreement at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi, for the utilisation of BharatNet infrastructure to connect rural households across the state under the state-led model of the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP).
The agreement was signed by Digital Bharat Nidhi under the DoT, the Government of Tamil Nadu, and Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation (TANFINET) to facilitate the use of the BharatNet network across Tamil Nadu under the ABP.
On August 4, 2023, the Union Cabinet approved the Amended BharatNet Program to modernise, consolidate and extend the existing BharatNet infrastructure, with the aim of providing reliable, future-ready broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats and villages on demand.
The Government of India has approved financial subsidy assistance to support the utilisation of the BharatNet network under the ABP. The initiative is expected to enable more than 0.5 million rural fibre-to-the-home connections across Tamil Nadu, with financial backing from the Centre. It will also improve access to digital services, including e-governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments and citizen-focused services in rural and remote parts of the state. Additionally, 4,767 villages in Tamil Nadu will receive connectivity on a demand basis, helping strengthen last-mile network access.
The agreement is expected to speed up the implementation of the programme across Tamil Nadu and further support the vision of building a digitally empowered society and a knowledge-driven economy.
